Power and Impact

by Harvard Business Review, Dan Cable, Peter Bregman

Wield your power for greater influence and impact. With formal authority comes power. But few people realize that informal power--the kind that doesn't come with a title--can have just as much impact. How do you use your power for greater influence? This book explains how power affects our emotions, our behavior, and how we work with others. You'll learn how to use self-awareness to keep your power in check, connect with the right people to create more value, respond to abuses of power, and leave a lasting impression. This volume includes the work

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction, Business, Management, Audiobook, Self Help, Personal Development

144 pages, Paperback

Published November 12, 2019

Reviews

[Leonard Wulteputte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Big meh, much eh

[Simon Gianoutsos · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short read but I can't say I got a lot out of it. There are some good bits included within but I found it lacked any great insights.

[Katrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wouldn’t be a book I would recommend to anyone, apart from the fact it shouldn’t take more then an hour to read.

I do feel that this was a little disorganised covering some big topics that are deserving of their own book, and perhaps delving into topics that weren’t necessary. I haven’t come away from this book with much insights into impact, but I have come away with some other resources that this book recommends such as books so I can dive in a little more.

The biggest takeaway is really around how power can make the best of people, compromise their origami attitudes and morals which got then into leadership roles in the first place. Good reminder to all to be self aware.

[Daniel Ottenwalder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Power is not inherently corrupting, but it is revealing. It amplifies who you already are and magnifies your blind spots. The higher you go, the less feedback you receive, the more your emotions matter, and the greater the downstream impact of small decisions. Power changes how others experience you, even if you feel the same on the inside.

People often think power comes from authority. In reality, it comes from dependency. If others rely on you to get work done, access resources, or navigate uncertainty, you have power whether or not your title reflects it. This makes power relational, not positional, and it means many people underestimate the influence they already have.

Unchecked power creates distance. Leaders begin to talk more and listen less, confuse confidence with correctness, and mistake compliance for alignment. This is how power erodes trust. The antidote is self awareness. You have to notice how your emotions, stress, and incentives shape your behavior, because others feel those effects immediately.

The most effective leaders use power to create more power in others. They delegate real ownership, share credit, tolerate mistakes, and make it safe to disagree. When people feel powerless, they disengage or become risk averse. When they feel trusted, they become more capable, more creative, and more invested.

Power also distorts decision making. Leaders can fall into paralysis, accommodation, or avoidance to preserve approval or avoid accountability. This weakens execution and confuses teams. Clear decisions, even unpopular ones, build credibility when paired with consistency and transparency.

There is also a personal cost to power. Feeling powerful at work can bleed into entitlement, reactivity, and unrealistic expectations of others. It can create a gap between how you see yourself and how you are experienced. Managing power requires emotional discipline, empathy, and intentional restraint.

At its best, power is a tool for stewardship. It allows you to shape systems, protect people without a voice, and create conditions where others can do their best work. Authority can force action, but leadership creates belief. Impact comes not from control, but from how responsibly power is exercised.

Appendix
How power corrupts without awareness

Power reduces sensitivity to others’ emotions.
It increases risk taking and overconfidence.
It weakens self monitoring and emotional regulation.
Mindfulness helps restore perspective and restraint.

Using power well

Practice empathy, generosity, and gratitude.
Ask better questions and listen without judgment.
Acknowledge contributions publicly.
Delegate meaningfully, not performatively.
Use influence to elevate others, not dominate them.

Power styles and origins

The pleaser, shaped by early validation needs.
The charmer, using influence and persuasion.
The commander, rooted in hierarchy and discipline.
The inspirer, valuing autonomy and creativity.
Most styles trace back to childhood dynamics.

Understanding your real power at work

Map who you rely on and who relies on you.
Score dependency to see where influence concentrates.
Watch for red flags like narrow networks or replaceability.
Increase power by creating unique value and cross functional relevance.

Common leadership failure modes

Decision paralysis and over analysis.
Avoiding accountability to stay liked.
Inconsistency that erodes trust.
Tolerating poor performance to avoid conflict.

Creating power through others

Empower people to take risks safely.
Encourage dissent and unvarnished views.
Treat mistakes as learning signals.
Communicate frequently and clearly.

Emotional discipline and power

Emotions are contagious.
Your tone, words, and presence shape the room.
Pause before reacting.
Ask whether an emotion is useful before expressing it.

Manipulation and abuse of power

Be wary of excessive flattery or special treatment.
Correct boundary violations immediately.
Do not keep secrets that compromise integrity.
Systems, not just individuals, enable abuse.

Privilege and responsibility

Identify where you benefit from invisible advantages.
Use access and voice to support others.
Advocacy matters more than intent.

Leadership vs authority

Authority compels action.
Leadership creates belief.
Change spreads through social proof and small clusters.
Sustainable impact comes from trust, not control.

Legacy perspective

Consider who benefits from your decisions.
Focus on burdens you remove, not credit you receive.
Think about how your actions compound over time.
Power is temporary, impact is lasting.

[Evin Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A straightforward read, ideal for an airplane ride. I picked this up at the airport for a 3 hour flight, my mind filled with thoughts about my organization and career, as well as wider American society. When there are existential challenges for an organization or nation, how should leaders lead? How should leaders collaborate with their human resources and citizens to drive transformation? This book answers this existential question, but like any idea, it is easier said than done.

"Including too many people also inhibits leaders' decisiveness. Fearful leaders delude themselves in thinking that the way to disperse risk is by getting lots of people involved. While including those who must live with a decision's consequences is important, over-including people at the expense of action isn't consensus-building; it's hiding. Avoiding it doesn't disperse risk, it heightens it." (p. 44)

"Narrowing priorities and focus to strengthen execution is one of an executive's greatest unifying contributions." (p. 45)

[Darya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice a sweet collection of wise thoughts on the topic of power, leadership, self confidence with power in hands and ability to make a positive impact of the people and situations around you. Interesting thoughts on how to deal with manipulation if you come across one and how to avoid negative consequences of power in your hands.

[Lili Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

My power style is definitely the charmer, though also parts of all the listed types.

Notable points:

-ways leaders lose power: paralysis (can’t make final decisions) over-inclusion (including too many people = hiding) accommodating (to others at the expense of the greater good), and tolerating poor performance
-embrace your influence, don’t fear it

[Kristina Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of essays and articles backed by research with references. A few helped offer a new perspective and I enjoyed some of the exercises for introspection as well. I wish it delved a little deeper or offered resources for further reading on specific topics, but overall it was an enjoyable, insightful read. I'll be looking into the other books in this EI series.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have been an easy book to sit down and read in one go but it didn’t grab me the way the focus book did. I liked a few of the charters but the book lacked flow compared to focus and hopefully to the others in the Emotional Intelligence series. One thing I do particularly like about these books are their reference sections and the ease of finding new books that delve deeper in said sections.

[Imene MELLAL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each article was an introduction to new ideas and research theories. While you can't expect this short read to be a comprehensive guide on Power and Impact, you can fairly use it as a start point to do more research or read the writers books.

[Emma Pontzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It talks about why some people are effective at leading while some fail. So if it comes from people you had lead you in the past. Forced change doesn’t really work. Most of the time people focus on not leaving a bad change instead of leaving a positive one.

[Nala Gasull]

It lacked substance. The articles were too short and I feel like they could have delved more deeply into the aspects they were treating, but most of the time they didn't even break the surface. Honestly, I've read articles written in similar styles in Kourtney Kardashian's blog, which is not a flattering comparison when you've got the word "Harvard" attached to your book. Nonetheless, it was interesting and easy to read, so I think I'll read some other articles.

[Jesse Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the better ones in this great series.

[Eddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stories for business leaders, employees, and co-workers to be inspired from to apply into their work life.

[Brad Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book for leaders of all kinds! Multiple stories from a variety of leaders & industries. A quick and great read.

[Amit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring but a short read.

[Nessa Wesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short but highly educational read. Loads of relevant data presented in a clear and concise manner, without resorting to filler content. Each chapter is concise and direct.

[Choirulhaq · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes us wiser in viewing power and authority.

[Abby Epplett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This quick read on leadership offers nothing new but would serve as an okay textbook supplement to business 101 students.

[James Boswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It contained alot of studies and information that were previously unknown to me. it discusses the impact that power has on a person psyche both real and perceived. well worth the read.